Furnace.



W. S. HOCKEY & H. ELDRIDGE.

FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE s, 1911.

1,057,883, Patented Apr. 1 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

W. S. ROGKEY & H. BLDRIDGB.

FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1911.

. 1 057 883; Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- MIA/55 5 W J/A/Vf/WU/PS war ,5) m5 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER S. ROCKEY AND HILLIARY ELDRIDGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO METALLURGICAL RESEARCH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

FURNACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 19-13.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, \VALTER S. Rooney and HIL'LIARY ELDRIDGE, citizens of the provide a furnace in which the outlet for the fused metal is also the outlet for the burned gases and products of combustion and also imperfect combustion of the fuel used.

A further object of our invention is to provide a furnace in which the metal, after being fused, will be exposed to the action of the gases, vapors, products of combustion and products of gaseous and vapor decomposition produced or generated in the furnace, to serve as a covering to prevent oxygen from coming in contact with the metal while it is in the furnace, and to purify the metal by the reducing action of the said products of combustion and gaseous and vapor decomposition.

A further object of our invention is to provide means for tilting the furnace to discharge the molten metal therefrom.

A further object is to provide a furnace having a tap-out constructed in such a manner that the gases generated in the furnace will protect same and prevent freezing of the metal around the plug.

Further objects and advantages will be pointed out in the following specification.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a furnace embodying certain features of our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the furnace, shown partly in dotted lines, and a cross sectional view through a portion of the chimney above the hood. Fig. 3 is a longi; tudinal sectional view through a furnace embodying our preferred form when designed for use in fusing cathode copper which is provided in sheet form. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction in which the arrow points.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, this furnace is especially adapted tot-he process of fusing and purifying'copper, and in describing its operation we-will assume that cathode copper is being fused in a hydrocarbon fuel flame and purified in the furnace, it being understood, however, that any other metal may be fused in the same manner and also that a carbonaceous fuel could be used if desired.

A, indicates a foundation made of blocks of stone or other suitable material, and B indicates our improved furnace, which is preferably made of molded silica, or built up of bricks of this material, or of other suitable material which is refractory to heat and neutral to the metal to'be fused and to the gases or other products generated directly or indirectly by the burning of the fuel used, as far as practicable.

C, indicates a circular fusing chamber, the bottom of which serves as a hearth, and C indicates an extension of said chamber which serves as a flue or delivery chamber for the heated gases and other products produced 'or generated in the furnace to fiow through and from the fusing chamber, and also serves as a conduit for the metal.

D, indicates an opening through which the metal may be introduced into chamber C, and D indicates a cover for said opening shoul'd be desirable to close same.

E, indicates a portion having the wall increased in thickness longitudinally relative to the thickness of the walls of the chamber C, for the purpose of forming the conduits FF,' etc., of sut'ficient length to insure the proper admission and combustion of the gases therein in order to generate a'reducing flame in the chamber C, .and these conduits We prefer to make cone-shaped as illustrated, and inclined downwardly and opening into the chamber C below the top of the inner wall of the chamber C to cause the heated gases and other products to flow freely through said chamber to the outlet G. v

The portion E may be made semi-circular in form as illustrated and any desired numher of conduits F may be formed therein, depending on the size of the chamber C, and the amount of metal it is desired to fuse per hour. t

The bottom, of the chamber 0, and extension thereof C, is preferably inclined as illustrated, the lowest portion being located at the outlet, and a dam H is formed across the chamber C, adjacent the outlet G and. a tap-hole H is located near and extends through the base of the dam on a line with the bottom of the chamber C, and a plug I,

1 the gases and other products produced or generated in the furnace may be deflected downward into the ladle'K for the purpose of purifying themolten metal and protecting same fromth'e' atmosphere while it is flowing into sa'idfladle. v

LL represent burners which inject and mix the hydro-carbon and air together in roper proportions to form a proper combustible, the air and hydro-carbon fuel being under pressure to cause the combustible mixture to flow through the'conduits F-F and into the chamber 0 with considerable velocity. The dotted lines in the chamber- C' indicated by M-M, etc., indicate sheets of cathode copper which have been inserted in the furnace through the opening D, and

N indicates the fused copper which is pre vented from leaving the furnace by the dam H.

0, indicates a hood which leads to an out- "let 0' and which being provided with an exhaust fan serves to carry away the products of combustion to the exterior of the building in which the furnace may be located.

' In operating the furnace, the chamber 0 is first thoroughly heated by the burning of the fuel from the burners LL and after the chamber C is thoroughly heated the cover D is removed from above the opening D and the cathode copper plates are dropped through same into the chamber C where they rest on the bottom of the hearth, and as the metal is fused, it flows into the chamber Cf against the dam H as indicated in the drawing, the gases and other products produced or generated by'the combustion of the fuel in the 'meantime passing out.

through the opening G and being deflected downward into the ladle K. By-removing orpartially withdrawing the cone-shaped plug I, the metal flows through the open ing H into the ladle K while the highly heated products of combustion and gaseous and vapor decomposition are purifying and protecting themetal and also the tap-hole H from contact with the outer atmosphere.

Referrin now to the construction llustrated inFigs. 3 and 4, we will refer to the "elements which correspond to the elements and increase in area from the inlet opening to the full width of the chamber '0 where they open into said chamber, and are located at the top of the chamber instead of near the bottom as shown in Fig. 1. 9, indicates the outlet from the furnace; h, the darn; it the tap-hole; a, the plug; 3', the cap-piece and y" the ring bolt therefor; j the deflecting surface of the cap; 70, the ladle; L- Z the burners; m, the sheet of metal to be fused;

n, the fused copper; o, the hood and 0 the outlet therefrom. 7), indicates a base piece which is supported on trunnions Q mounted on the base a as indicated. 1-, indicates a lever operated gear wheel which engages with a rack 72 formed on the curved surface of the base piece 1, and by means of which the furnace is tilted to flow the fused metal over the dam instead of removing the plug 2', and also serves to tilt the furnace in the opposite direction to cause the furnace extension 0 to hold a greater quantity of fused metal, if required by circumstances. By this construction the heat is applied near the top of each sheet 'on each side thereof, and flows downward in contact therewith to the bottom of the furnace so that the sheet fuses evenly. In other respects the operation and construction is the same as that hereinbefore set forth in the description of the construc tion set forth in Figs. 1 and 2.

We do not wish to be limited to the exact features of construction illustrated in the drawings submitted in this application, since the details of construction may be varied in r some respects without departing from the broad invention disclosed, and,

therefore, reserve all-constructions which may come within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

1. A furnace compi'ising a chamber for the metal to'be fused, an opening through which vfuel may be introduced into sald. chamber to fuse the metal, an openin through which the metal may be introduce into said chamber, and an outlet from said chamber constructed to cause the fused metal and the gaseous products of combustion proits inner periphery "shaped to deflect the gases passing out of the delivery chamber in a downward direction while in such manner as to envelop the fused metal flowing from the chamber.

15. A furnace comprising a fusing cham-' her having its axis disposed vertically, an opening in the top of the chamber for feeding metal thereto, heating means arranged to project heating flames into the bottom of said fusing chamber, a delivery chamber connected to the fusing chamber and having its axis horizontally disposed, means at the end of the delivery chamber whereby the molten metal flowing from said delivery chamber will move in a downward direction and means at the end of the delivery chamber whereby the gases fiowlng through said delivery chamber will be deflected in a downward direction and in such manner as to surround the fused metal flowing from the delivery chamber.

16. A furnace comprising a vertical fusing chamber, a horizontal deliverv chamher, a hood on the end of the delivery chamber having an opening below the bottom of the deliver chamber, a pivoted support for said cham ers, together with means for movin said pivoted support and chambers.

17. furnace comprising a vertical fusing chamber open at the top, a cover therefor, a horlzontal delivery chamber, a hood having an opening at the bottom thereof connected to the end of the delivery chamber, a pivoted support for thechambers, together with means for changing the position of the longitudinal axis of the delivery chamber from" horizontal to that of an angle.

downward to envelop the metal flowing out of the delivery chamber.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures, 1n presence of two witnesses.

WALTER s. ROCKEY. HILLIARY ELDRIDGE.

Witnesses:

FRANK, C. PLUME, G. F. QUACKENBUSH. 

